Civil Rights and Free Speech

Shannon "SJ" Joslin, a probationary National Park Service wildlife biologist/ranger at Yosemite, was terminated in August weeks before her probation ended after helping hang a large transgender pride flag from El Capitan on May 20, 2025, and has filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C. alleging the firing and a related criminal investigation violated her First Amendment and privacy rights and amounted to selective, viewpoint‑based enforcement; attorneys are seeking immediate reinstatement and a ruling that the park’s demonstration and banner rules were applied unconstitutionally, while the NPS says unpermitted demonstrations outside designated First Amendment areas "detract from the visitor experience" and declines to comment on personnel actions.